Description
Delicious crispy baked chicken thighs with a flavorful seasoning blend.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 2 teaspoons paprika (or use a combo of 1 tsp paprika + 1 tsp smoked paprika)
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (for flavor variation, substitute with ground cumin)
- 1 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
- pinch cayenne pepper (optional and to taste)
- 6 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs (about 6 ounces each; other types of chicken may be substituted)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, or cilantro (optional for garnishing)
- Lemon wedges (optional for serving)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425F and either spray a 9×13-inch baking dish with cooking spray or spray a baking sheet. For easier cleanup, line the baking sheet with foil and curl up the edges to prevent juices from running off; set pan aside.
- To a medium bowl, add the brown sugar, all the spices, salt, pepper, and optional cayenne or chili powder, and mix to combine.
- Pat the chicken pieces dry with a paper towel.
- Place chicken in a bowl and evenly drizzle with the olive oil, rubbing it into the top of each piece of chicken.
- Evenly sprinkle the seasoning blend over the chicken, patting it in a bit with your fingers.
- Bake uncovered for about 35-40 minutes, or until a thermometer registers 165F. Rotate your baking pan once midway through to ensure even cooking, starting to check at 30 minutes.
- Optionally, for even crispier skin, set your broiler to HIGH and broil on the top rack for about 1-2 minutes, being watchful to prevent burning.
- Allow chicken to rest for about 5 minutes, optionally garnish as desired, and serve with lemon wedges.
Notes
- The cooking time may be shorter on a baking sheet compared to a baking dish.
- Boneless chicken thighs and breasts may cook quicker, in about 25-35 minutes.
- Always check for an internal temperature of 165F.
- Be cautious while broiling as it can go from crispy to burnt quickly.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 40 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 thigh
- Calories: 320
- Sugar: 2g
- Sodium: 800mg
- Fat: 22g
- Saturated Fat: 6g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 4g
- Fiber: 0g
- Protein: 28g
- Cholesterol: 120mg